run, rest, eat, bitch, buy things, cross-train, blog, repeat.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Thankful!

Alright, now it's my turn to list what I'm most thankful for-running/health related. My take on the list is slightly different from Amy, who picked her top five things. My list turned out to be a bit more general, and when I sat down last night to brainstorm, I ended up with a top 13 instead of a top 5. Oops. But, because it's Thanksgiving time and Thanksgiving is a time to recognize our blessings, I thought it might be ok for me to give you the whole list. It just wouldn't be fair to leave some out. Plus we won't be posting for a few days so this one will be nice and long for you. So here you have it...drum roll please...

1. Nature-I love being outdoors-in any season. Running lets me enjoy the fresh air and take in all the beauty.

2. My Health-Sure runners are prone to aching legs and joints and an occasional running-related injury, but the sacrifices are way worth it. Don't you think? Exercise gives you a healthy heart, strong bones, better mental health, etc...It's just plain good for you.

3. The Challenge-I'm thankful that God made me competitive, even with myself. The good thing about running is that you can always make goals, work hard to achieve them, and then set the standard even higher.

4. Energy-Working out gives you great positive energy.

5. Stress Relief

6. Runner Camaraderie-The bond that runners share is awesome. No matter where you come from or what you believe, runners share a passion. We get it.

7. The Passion-Running helps to define me. The way I live my life and the actions I take everyday are often an effect of, or because of, running. We go to bed early, pass up on that beer, or skip out on meeting up with friends when we have a race the next morning. We eat things that help us perform well. We adjust our schedules to make running a priority. Having the passion for running (or anything!) can be exhilarating!

8. Being in on the Secret-This one sort of goes right along with the previous two, but I'm going to give it its own number because I'm super thankful for being "on the inside" (because it's such a secret society). How many times have you heard, "the only time you'd ever see me run is if I were being chased" or "you're running how many miles?! Are you crazy?!" Why yes, thank you, I am crazy enough to voluntarily run 26.2 miles and yes, sometimes it hurts, but I do it anyway because I love it. Again, runners just get it.

9. Cool Running Gear/Gadgets and Cute Running Clothes-See Amy's list for examples.

10. Race T-Shirts and SWAG

11. The Satisfaction of Completing a Long-run or Racing Well.

12. Self-Discipline

13. Being Able to Eat What I Want (within reason)-Running lets me do it.

So there you have it, folks. I'm thankful for lotsa good stuff when it comes to running. And you can be sure I will be especially grateful for #13 tomorrow as I pile the turkey, dressing and cranberry sauce onto my plate. I wish all of you a very Happy Turkey Day and hope that you enjoy your holiday!

P.S. I'm also thankful for YOU, my dear blogger friends! Thanks for keeping up with us:)

5 comments:

Amy said...

Nice. I'm with you on the "secret" one. I like being apart of the 1% or whatev of the world population that have run a marathon. It's my one shot at being in a secret society... I mean, I guess I could try to become a mason or something.

See ya tomorrow!

ECrunnergirl said...

This is the BEST LIST EVAARRR! Thanks girl...I needed that. I am SO thankful for my running and my running passion and it defines me as well and sometimes I think I must be crazy. But then I read your list and I know Im not...and runners just "get" each other totally and completely! Have a happy turkey day :-}

RunnerMom said...

I love your number 8, the "secret" one, as well. I've never heard it put that way, but I DO feel like I'm in some secret band of brothers and sisters who know something everyone else doesn't. (And I'm not even in the full marathon category. Yet.)

RunnerMom said...

April---I'm thinking about the Frostbite Half in Feb. Was it a well-put on race? Is it really only $5?? Congrats on an amazing finish time---I saw it in your PR list.

Danielle in Iowa in Ireland said...

Apparently running doesn't let me eat whatever I want. Dammit! Hope you had a good holiday!